Conditions similar to\which induce Hypothyroidism and elevated TSH?

[ondrej41]

While taking thyroid hormones, I usually feel progressively better for the first 2 months (losing weight, better metabolism and sleep, energetic and happy, 80-100% wellness) and then just fall down. This has happened to me three times. I took T4 mono and I had up and down weeks, after 2-3 months I just went back to my previous state. And I have taken NDT and felt more stable during those 2 months. Even after upping the dose, I don't feel better.

I don't know what really causes my simptoms of hypo and elevated TSH and I'm afraid this fact prevents me from healing.My thyroid gland is fine on ultrasound, low antibodies, but I'm reacting very well to thyroid hormones at the beginning. At least for the last 5 years my TSH is elevated up to 7.0, I've never seen TSH less than 3.0, usually it is 4 - 6.

I've managed to find sweet (to be honest, not so sweet) spot some months ago while taking combination of T4 and T3 like 33+15, but the T3 component works not ideally for me I prefer more T4. Also sometimes small dose like 5 T3 or 50 T4 works magically and quickly makes me symptom-free, other days I can't feel an effect, maybe just feeling hot after taking 20-30 T3.

What I see from the results is that my body likes to have certain level of fT3=5,5.

Results on T3\T4 combo from last October

TSH 3,5

fT4 14 (12-22)

fT3 5,5 (3,1-6,8)

Results from 2 years ago while taking T4

TSH 1,55

fT4 19 (12-22)

fT3 5,46 (3,1-6,8)

Last results after 5 weeks on 100 mcg of T4

TSH 0,1

fT4 22 (12-22)

fT3 5,6 (3,1-6,8)

Without medications my levels of fT3 are 4,5 or less, depending on circustamces (exercising, diet), my fT4 is midrange. The problem is that despite different T3 levels I can feel same symptoms.

I suppose basing on these results that my HPT axis works OK. But I still can't understand what causes an elevation of TSH. What I have found is that occasionally TSH is little elevated in thyroid type 2 allostasis (like obesity), Addison disease, hypogonadism, also sleep apnea.

Maybe there are other reasons? I saw on forums people with the same pattern - elevated TSH, midrange or even higher fT4 and fT3. They are usually symptomatic, but there is no understanding what causes it and how to treat it.

Thank you

[Heloise]

Hi ondre, I couldn't quite follow what you do after the crash and a change of hormone. It seems the two to three month mark is when you see the full value of the dosage you are taking. Did you stop everything for a while and restart low? Not that I have any notion what is going on. You can't always count on the FT3 being active in the cells especially if you are insulin resistant. Have you ever had a saliva test for cortisol? Very high cortisol will interfere with T3. So does high estrogen.

I know you said your body may prefer T4 but there are some people who should not use it. Have you tried T3 only?

This is all speculation but based on some of functional talks we've heard as they try to figure out these puzzles. You probably need an insightful functional doctor.

[ondrej41 in reply to Heloise]

Hi. After my crashes I tried to increase or lower the dosage (this was step with better results), but my symptoms have never been resolved on constant basis. Yeah, I'd also stopped to take thyroid hormones for a month or two and started again from 50 mcg of Levo. The same story has happened - ups and downs and crash after 2 months. My TSH on 50 mcg of Levo is usually 3, but increases have never helped me.

I have found in November that when I take 15-20 mcg of T3 and 25 mcg of T4 I'm hypothyroid, but after slight increase of T4 (lets say to 50 mcg every third day) I start to feel progressively better and after several weeks can even go to a hyper state. So small increases of T4 often make big difference and bigger increases of T4 can be insensible.

For me T3 component works not very stable and it's actually changes in T4 dose give me symptom relief.

I live in Eastern Europe and we don't have a lot of functional doctors. I have visited someone, made some tests which didn't give much information. I never got a clue or insightful understanding - they just gave me a diet (I have lowered my insulin enough, but it never helped me with symptoms and my TSH remained elevated). My saliva cortisol was low in morning, but inside the reference range during the day and night. Blood cortisol is in higher part of the range.

In summer I was taking 1,5 of NDT and it increased my progesterone over the range - 734 (159 - 401), testosterone (from lowrange to midrange) and estradiol to 120 (41 - 159)

[Heloise in reply to ondrej41]

Have you taken any other adrenal support? Adrenal Cortex for instance? Dr. John Bergman is quite good at figuring hormonal interactions. I usually post his video on thyroid and adrenals but he has many others on the you tube. So you have diabetes as well?

youtube.com/watch?v=F1rxW9I...(Not working as expected?)

[ondrej41 in reply to Heloise]

Thanks for the video. No I don't have diabetes, I just tried to manage insulin resistance. I've tried to take additional cortisol - prednisone - it just gave me more fluid retention and made me depressed.

[Heloise in reply to ondrej41]

For adrenals, the last resort might be hydrocortisone but it's better to use natural methods. Do you agree the adrenal glands might be your problem? The issue with cortisol is that either too high OR too low can be the problem. What if you tried adrenal cortex or some other supplement. You could read reviews on any of these and see if they relate. Dr. Bergman points out if your thyroid is low your adrenals get stressed. iherb.com/search?sug=adrena...

[Popo91]

Hi Ondrej,

Have you ever looked into mercury toxicity? It is a very common cause of chronic illnesses. Thyroid issues and adrenal fatigue are the most common physiological symptom of mercury poisoning. I can only encourage you to take a look at Dr Andy Cutler s research. There is a Facebook support group with more than 57K members, very supportive ("Andy Cutler chelation safe mercury and heavy metals detox")

[ondrej41 in reply to Popo91]

Actually functional doctors once thought that my problems could be linked to toxic burden. I lived several years close to chemical factories, with radiation maybe. I've made a hair test and didn't show any excesses of toxic metals, no amalgams too (my relatives have them). So functional doctors summarized I'm OK with mercury and other things

[Popo91 in reply to ondrej41]

Hi Ondrej. heavy metals don't show in hair tests, most of the time. But mercury toxicity is causing mineral transport derangement. This mineral transport derangement is spotted with a hair test (you need a hair test that shows both toxic elements, and essential elements) I lost 3 years because I thought my hair test was negative, but I didnt know anything about the counting rules and mineral transport derangement. It turned out that my hair test results are screaming mercury. Do not assume that you are not toxic, until you post your hair test results on the Facebook group I told you about. The admins are doing a great job to help people with the hair test interpretation.

Also, amalgams are just one of the many sources of mercury poisoning. It starts in the womb, during pregnancy the foetus litterally absorbs the heavy metals from his mother. Then, the vaccines (all of them contain either mercury or aluminium) And then, the Mercurochrome. The CFL bulbs (mercury vapors are released when broken). Some eye drops contain emrcury. Most eye makeup products also have mercury. And sea food too. Etc...